Beer: Reviews & Ratings

Bottled in 2007/187ml. Popped with a slight hiss but poured with no head. Full fruity nose (mild port-like) but slightly medicinal. Fruity, full taste, some heat, Nice clean finish for age. Very little oxidation. (212 characters)

(T)- Quite a nice leathery component combined with a sweet sherry-like profile with some cocoa and raisin with sweet raspberry and grape fruits.

(M)- Quite sweet but also a superbly well hidden ABV. Very similar to a dessert wine in my tastes.

(O)- A very big but very successful fruit beer that is best saved for dessert or a nightcap. I definitely understand why they bottled this in those tiny 8oz. bottles since it is actually the perfect amount to enjoy this beer by. (745 characters)

S - Smell is mostly a wonderful aroma of currents, with a faint amount of alcohol and tootsie roll thrown in.

T - Taste seems to constantly change within a sip. At times fruity, at times boozy, definitely some tootsie roll. Unfortunately, also some unpleasant medicinal tastes and as others have mentioned, some astringent notes. Also a bit boozy, but pretty mild considering the abv. Definitely a mixed bag that doesn't live up to the aroma, but is still mostly enjoyable.

O - Definitely an interesting one from Kuhnhenn. Haven't had this before, so I have no idea what the aging has been. There are a lot of nice things going on here, but unfortunately some unpleasant flavors prevent this from being great. (918 characters)

This beer pours a syrupy dark brown with purple overtones and no carbonation. The nose is big and syrupy with a lot of blueberry and grape characteristics. It definitely has loads of residual sugar. The flavors are odd. Its medicinal and has loads of blueberry, grape, almost generic sucker like fruit flavors. It's interesting. I don't care for the finish. It has too much sugar and is a little astringent. It is sticky sweet. The astringency definitely takes ahold with more sips. I'm definitely grateful that I could try this but It it just wasn't up my alley. (613 characters)

I believe this is the 2007 vintage, bottled in 12oz bottles. Received from goryshkewych and TheBlackMallard. Thanks, guys.

In my snifter this sits a beautiful deep crimson, briefly adorned with a brown head that dissipates rapidly leaving no lace. The nose is really, really good. Yes, it's syrupy and sweet, bringing to mind cough syrup, but the fruit character here is really interesting and enjoyable. Bursting with ripe acidity with currants, half-ripe grapes, but also with berries, specifically black cherries and raspberries. Some chocolate is also present, making this increasingly cough syrup-like. Despite its age, this smells surprisingly fresh, with no oxidative off-flavors. All said, the single most dominant characteristic of the nose is the fruit. There's even a little bit of prune character here.

The palate opens with a blend of big fruity sweetness, berry tartness, alcohol and syrup. The sweetness profile here is complex, with sugar, sugar syrup, brown sugar, caramel and a little toffee with a touch of molasses-like complexity. The fruit is really dominant on the mid-palate, with berries (black cherries, raspberries) and currants, with the cat pee-like muskiness. Sweet on the finish with a lingering chocolate, caramel and vanilla sugar sweetness, this beer is full in body with noticeable alcohol and softly carbonated. The alcohol does lend a little bit of bitterness and some bite. Despite the sweetness, the vibrancy and acidity of the berries make this really drinkable, more so than the much more lauded Raspberry Eisbock IMO. (1,562 characters)

From notes. Shared a while back with some excellent dudes one summer night in CO.

A: Dull, dark cranberry. No head on vigorous pour.

S: Yuck. Smells like burnt rubber, rotten veg, and over-ripened mixed berries. Not a good start.

T: The unpleasantness continues...mild fruit/berry sweetness up-front with bitter chocolate and toffee middle. The end is absolutely miserable though and I needed another beer to cleanse my palate. So much going on here, but the ABV overshadows the taste. Not enjoyable whatsoever and I was hard-pressed to finish my 1.5 ounce sample if that says anything. Simply putrid.

M: Full bodied with zero carbonation.

O: I was stoked to get two bottles of this beer in a trade a while back and was waiting for the "right time" to open it. I don't think I waited too long, I just think this beer was off (probably just the bottle). Not sure what the cellaring conditions were prior to it coming into my possession, but I was terribly disappointed with this - so much that I traded my other bottle away. Won't be returning to this anytime soon. A darn shame because I really like a lot of their other beers. (1,174 characters)

A: Deep, murky reddish-brown. No head whatsoever. Could certainly be confused with a red wine based upon appearance.

S: Red grapes, black currant, chocolate, and booze. This is a very interesting smell.

T: Red grapes, black currant, raspberries, and oak up front. There is a chocolate-covered raspberry flavor on the finish. Significant amount of booze, which is to be expected for 15%, but it is hidden well. The sweetness lingers, and there is certainly a warming effect. Make no mistake: this is a dessert beer, and an incredibly complex one at that.

M: Fairly thin mouthfeel with no carbonation. Sweet and slick. This really reminds me of a sweet red wine.

O: What a complex beer this is. Fantastic for dessert. I really took my time and savored this one. In all honesty, I probably could have shared this bottle with someone else because a little goes a long way. I prefer the Raspberry Eisbock, but I will be having this again if it is ever released again. Another great experimental brew from Kuhnhenn. (1,102 characters)

Pours a clear and thick dark ruby brown with minimal head or lace. Aroma is like DFH but appealing; very sweet without being cloying, heavy on currants, licorice, raspberry, and butterscotch. Flavor has a subtle bitterness in the finish and undercurrent of chocolate and licorice to cut the intense berry fruit that dominates. Thick and viscous body with minimal carbonation, covering the palate like an oil slick. Very enjoyable. (458 characters)

Beer pours a dark reddish brown with very little head and hardly any lacing. Smell is extremely fruity and fantastic with booze hiding in there. Flavor is certainly unique, berries and tootsie rolls and very big, definitely a sipper. Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied with low carbonation. Overall this is very interesting, not a beer you need a whole lot of, but very nice. (403 characters)

Pours a very dark plum color that's completely opaque with a miniscule off-white head that lingers for a minute before disappearing. No lacing.

Sweet vinous aroma that's bursting with currant, dark cherry, blueberry, grape and other dark berries. This is countered by a nice malt character with hints of chocolate cake, fudge and toffee. Slightly syrupy/medicinal character but not overpowering and although the ABV is really high, there us little to no booze in the nose. Smells like dessert!

Medium bodied with a very prominent vinous, dark fruit flavor that's countered by dark malt notes and boozy sweetness. Lots of sweet currant flavor along with some grape, blackberry, blueberry and other dark berries before being countered by hints of toffee and chocolate cake. Even with the maltier notes it's still too sweet for my liking. The ABV is decently masked considering its 15% but there still a decent amount of boozy warmth throughout. (945 characters)

A - Ruby with a fair amount of transparency. Very little head or retention.

S - Sour with hints of dark fruits, including cherry. Alcohol definitely comes through in the aroma.

T - Cough syrup is a perfect description for how this beer feels. The dark fruits provide a very juicy backbone, and there is a cherry edge which gives it an almost artificial tasting bite. It all combines to taste a lot like a cherry cough syrup, which sounds disgusting but tastes quite good. A very all encompassing flavour that mostly drowns out the alcohol, though the booziness comes through partway through the taste and lingers in the finish. Sweet chocolate also comes through in the finish, with an edge of the dark fruit. The finish is a smooth jammy sweetness that is neither too sticky or sweet. Strange but satisfying.

M/D - High carbonation, medium bodied.

O - Never had anything quite like it. A very unique beer that manages to make drinking cough syrup for intoxication seem classy. (981 characters)

A strong beer for sure, the alcohol is not too fusel-laden and there is plenty of throat warmth, but no burn. Loads of sweet, dark fruit but the beer would benefit greatly from any amount of carbonation. (885 characters)

Had this one during the 'We Want The Funk!' tasting that was graciously hosted by beermeX2! Big thanks goes out to BRoss242 for sharing this one with the group! 2007 Vintage! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller flute. Poured orange-brown with a very minimal cream colored head. There was no lacing evident throughout. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, caramel, blackberry, and raspberry. The flavor was of sweet malt, caramel, toffee, raspberry, and blackberry. It had a medium feel on the palate with low carbonation. Overall this was a great brew. There was just something about this with how the berries and caramel/toffee aspect worked really well together. I have to say that this one has aged pretty well over the years for the most part. Maybe the carbonation suffered a little as a result, but hey, the flavor made up for this one. Just hate it was in a ~6 oz bottle... (882 characters)

T/M: Intense sweetness, but a rich sweetness. Sweet instead of rich chocolate with more of the toffee and caramel. The currents are potent and mix well with the pleasant alcohol. Body is full with just a wisp of carbonation... A touch more would help.

D: Tasty and interesting but not something I'd go to very often. Especially at it's price. (659 characters)

(bottle from Alexsdad06!!). Pours dark brown with red hue-almost cola color when held up to the light. Khaki head dissipates quickly even after a vigorous pour. Lots of carbonation bubbles hug the side of the glass. Aroma has fruit (cassis), ripe dark pit fruit, and caramel. Taste is sweet from both the fruit and the malts (caramel flavored), but the malts carry this as the fruit fades. Full bodied with a slick texture. Oh so smooth finish with alcohol noticeable, but pleasant. This is a delicious beer. (508 characters)

A: The beer is still, with only a few stray bubbles that disappear almost immediately. The color is a brownish magenta. An energetic swirl brings the liquid up the glass and leaves a thick collar. Great color.

T: Candied sugary sweetness overwhelms the palate. Cassis is immediately evident, accompanied by caramel, toffee, and booze. Oxidation is once again sherry-like and complimentary. The sweetness makes three ounces more than enough. The finish exhibits much warming.

M: Medium in body and still. Mouthfeel is smooth and sticky with ample alcohol warming.

Overall: A very sweet desert beer. Fantastic nose, but the sweetness is a bit overpowering in the flavor. Worth a try, though. (969 characters)

2007 vintage poured into snifter. Huge thanks to northernbrews for the great extra.

A: Pours nearly flat with a very thin, short lived, light brown head. Color is a woody, dirty sort of rusty brown with a few tiny flecks of sediment at the end of the pour. S: Big rich syrupy sweet notes of sherry, maraschino cherry juice, black currents (cassis), and a note or two of alcohol. There is also the faintest hint of wet cardboard and molasses. T: Sweet notes of currents and port hit first followed by malty notes of caramel, toffee, raisins, earthy woody flavors and maybe a touch of chocolate. The finish is sweet and full of cherry and current syrup, and the aftertaste has notes of vanilla, warm alcohol and earthy malt. M: Luckily there is some tingly carbonation here. Body is thick and syrupy and the mouthfeel is very slick and sweet with a decent amount of warming alcohol burn. For being fairly old this beer is actually quite hot, but for 15% I guess it could be worse. O: A great sipper that would indeed be great after dinner as the bottle suggests. Amazingly complex and smooth. Thanks again Jeff for this great brew! (1,134 characters)

12oz bottle into a Birra del Borgo tulip. Big thanks to both Chris and Tony for supplying yet another Kuhnhenn goody. You guys seem to be keeping this brewery afloat entirely by yourselves. That's a seriously wonderful decision.

A: Brilliant red-amber body; few bubbles, but lovely legs.

S: So rich. Bitter raspberry (which I guess is what cassis tastes like to me) and vanilla, caramel, toffee, and fruity booze. Amazing.

O: Kuhnhenn has absolutely perfected the high-ABV fruit beer. While this one was clearly more fruit-forward than the Raspberry Eisbock (which very much focused on the chocolate + vanilla richness), it was equally admirable for its ability to pack both huge flavor and huge alcohol into a dangerously drinkable concoction. I'd take either one (or Extraneous Cassis, for that matter) over just about any dessert wine on the market. Fantastic beer.

The flavor, luckily, is exactly like the aroma. Tons of sweet currents, dark chocolate, molasses and sugar as it warms. Like syrup on a cheesecake.

Liqueur-like in viscosity with a velvety medium body, it maintains a light carbonation and tongue-numbing alcohol.

I've never had a beer from Kuhnhenn that didn't blow my mind, and this one's no different. It's definitely a dessert beer for sipping, but one I'd gladly sip until the rapture. Delicious. (751 characters)

Bottle thanks to Ryan Meray! 6.3oz bottle poured into my Narke tulip...Pours a really dark mahogany, bordering on eggplant purple. Not surprisingly, no carbonation. Comparing to other Kuhnhenns, specifically KRE, this looks a lot better...Awesome aroma that has a wonderful red grape backbone, freshly squeezed grape juice that I remember sucking down as kid. Complimented by toffee, syrupy molasses and vanilla. A hint of the 15% alcohol creeps in, but its used perfectly to break up the sweetness. Can't imagine a 15%, or beer with fruit smelling better...The taste lets me down ever so much, I think particularly because the alcohol is not as well hidden at all. The grape juice quality is still there but mostly only shows on the front. I get a ton of alcohol not bad grain, but just prevalent. There is a slight tart finish, blackberries are shown off in a great way, sweet but tart. Toffee, vanilla and wood come in too. There is a slight chalky taste and feel that is by biggest complaint, not sure if this has gotten old already!..The feel is warm, chalky and tannic. Slightly distracting...Pretty easy to drink for a 15th.

Another solid Kuhnhenn, I'd drink this again; I'd even track it down again. (1,209 characters)

Bottle. 2007 vintage. Poured into a CCB snifter glass a reddish hued mahagony brown color with a razor thin head that collars around the glass. Just an outstanding nose! The aromas coming from this very fruity from the cassis; raspberry, cherry, apple, orange, pear, apricot - they are all in the nose smelling very sweet. For being 16.5%, I don't get a strong booze note. Medium/heavy mouthfeel with very little carbonation. Ok, the booze is pretty evident in the taste. Lots of fruit notes again in the taste with a deeper dark fruit flavor like raisins and dark cherry, some vanilla as well. The heat from the alcohol warms the mouth, throat, and nostrils. The back end is kind of like cough syrup with the fruit, alcohol, and slightly medicinal/bitter flavor. Overall, this is a beer not for the timid. Big and boozy. (821 characters)